Major Detail
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About This Degree
Program Number
4831
Estimated Program Length
1 year
Location(s)
Vincennes Campus
This certificate program is designed to provide students the basic skills and knowledge to begin work as a Pharmacy Technician. The course work will fulfill the Indiana training requirement for Pharmacy Technicians and prepare students to take the National Pharmacy Technician Exam.
The Certificate of Program Completion Pharmacy Technology Program conducted by Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana is accredited by The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), 7272 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814 (866) 279-0681. Website: www.ashp.org
State Licensure/Certification Information
Upon completion of the C.P.C. the student will able to;
demonstrate the cognitive knowledge necessary for satisfactory performance in an entry-level pharmacy position;
prepare medication for clients through mixing, counting pills, and labeling bottles;
demonstrate inventory and stocking skills;
prepare I.V. mixtures, ointments and creams;
demonstrate proper drug dispensing techniques;
and apply mathematics concepts for dosage calculation.
What is a Pharmacy Technician?
A pharmacy technician assists a pharmacist with the preparation of prescription medications for customers and/or healthcare institutions. The technician may receive written prescription requests or may process requests doctors' offices send electronically or phone in.
Depending on state laws, a pharmacy technician may also develop new drug therapies, compound or mix medications, manage patient files, provide vaccines, and obtain refill authorizations from doctors, organizes drug inventory and lets a pharmacist know if there are any shortages.
Under pharmacist supervision, pharmacy technicians:
- Supply medicines to patients, whether on prescription or over the counter
- Assemble medicines for prescriptions
- Provide information to patients and other healthcare professionals.
Pharmacy technicians also:
- Manage areas of medicines supply such as dispensaries
- Supervise other pharmacy staff
- Produce medicines in hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry.
Career Opportunities
Employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations. This demand will be due to the expansion of retail pharmacies, the increased number of middle-aged and elderly people, and the increasing roles and responsibilities of pharmacy technicians.
Graduates of our program are able to work as pharmacy technicians in:
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Retail
- Home health care
- Public and government health agencies
Accreditation/Certifications
The Vincennes University Pharmacy Technology Program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), 7272 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, Md 20814 (866) 279-0681. Website: www.ashp.org, and prepares technicians for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s (PTCB) Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) and also qualifies as a PTCB Certified Compound Sterile Preparation Technician (CSPT) Training Program
Social Media
Be sure to follow us on social media for up-to-date information on our program and job opportunities.
@vupharmtech 
@vupharmtech 
@vupharmtechAwards
Recently Vincennes University Pharmacy Technician program has received 3 awards for Best Online Associate Degree, Best Pharmacy Technician School(s), and 2018-2019 Best Pharmacy Technician Program in the U.S.
Vincennes University's Pharmacy Technology Program was awarded the Indiana College and Career Readiness Awards for Excellence. The awards were presented at a February 26, 2019 ceremony at the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis. The Indiana Career and Technical Education Awards for Excellence Program recognizes exemplary programs, students, and partnerships that benefit the state. The program is supported by a grant through the Indiana Department of Education and by contributions from the Indiana Dept. of Workforce Development, VU, Ivy Tech Community College, and the Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education Districts.
Partnerships:
IU Health and Vincennes University Partnership
Students who complete the IU Health Pharmacy Technology certificate program are eligible for automatic acceptance into the VU AS/CT degree pathway allowing them to complete their AS/CT in as little as two semesters. This can be done on campus or online. Students should select that they are an IU Health Transfer when completing the pharmacy technology application.
For more information on IU Health please feel free to access their site:
https://iuhealth.org/professional-education/health-sciences-education/pharmacy-technician
Area 31 Partnership
Vincennes University is proud to have the only ASHP accredited high school program in the nation that offers an Associate’s Degree. Students in the Indianapolis, IN, Area 31 district have the opportunity to graduate with an AS/CT, become state licensed technicians, sit for the PTCB National Certification Exam at the same time they are completing their High School Diploma.
For more information on Ben Davis/Area 31 please feel free to access their site: https://area31careercenter.com/
Twin Rivers Area Career & Technical Education Area
Twin Rivers is a Career & Technical Education Cooperative composed of 12 school corporations serving area high schools in Daviess, Greene, Knox, Martin, Sullivan counties in southwest Indiana with the goal to more effectively and efficiently provide career & technical education and training to high school students. High School Seniors involved in Twin Rivers will be able to start applying in spring of 2019 for the VU Pharmacy Technology certificate programs 2019-’20 academic year.
For more information on Twin Rivers please feel free to access their site: http://twinriversarea.org/
East Allen Career Center
Vincennes University is proud to provide high quality high school programs. Students in New Haven, IN, district have the opportunity to graduate with a CPC, become state licensed technicians, sit for the PTCB National Certification Exam at the same time they are completing their High School Diploma.
For more information on East Allen Career Center, please feel free to access their site https://www.eacs.k12.in.us
Quick Facts
Pharmacy technicians earned a median salary of $33,060 a year or $15.90 an hour in 2017. (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics)
According to BLS as on May 2017 there were 417,720 pharmacy technicians working across the nation, out of which 282,155 were PTCB certified. As PTCB certified pharmacy technicians are being preferred by employers, each year more number of pharmacy technicians are getting themselves PTCB certified.
More than half of all jobs were in pharmacies and drug stores.
Positions are usually full-time, and schedules may include weekends and evenings.
The job outlook for this occupation is very good, predicts the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The government agency says employment will grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2026. Indiana alone expects an average of 810 job openings annually from 2016-2026.
Vincennes University works with PioneerRx to give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real world situations. Learn more here, and see how PioneerRx compares to other pharmacy software providers here.
Pharmacy Technology Information Packet (PDF)